Sentot Prawirodirdjo

Ali Basah Abdul Mustapa Prawirodirdjo (1808 – 17 April 1855), also known as Sentot Ali Pasha or Sentot Prawirodirdjo, was a Javanese Muslim military commander during the Java War. He joined Diponegoro's rebel forces at the age of seventeen, and became a renowned commander in the war, and later became overall commander. He surrendered to the Dutch in October 1829. In Dutch service, Prawirodirdjo was given command of a Javanese unit under Dutch command during a 1832 Chinese riot in Purwakarta and then in the Padri War, when he was accused of collusion with Padri leaders. He was exiled to Bengkulu and died there.

Early life Prawirodirdjo was born in 1808 in Maospati to Rongga Prawirodirdjo III, the bupati of Madiun, through a concubine. Rongga was killed after initiating a revolt in 1810 against the colonial government of Herman Willem Daendels. His mother was likely Dayawati, Rongga's concubine who died in 1810.

Dutch service and exile

After Sentot's surrender, he was given command of a native Javanese unit of 450 men, financed by the Dutch colonial government. The unit was deployed to Batavia in 1831 and saw action in suppressing a 1832 riot of Chinese migrants in Purwakarta, earning praise from Dutch commanders.

The unit was then sent to West Sumatra in 1833, to take part in the Padri War. However, Sentot began colluding with the Minangkabau religious leaders, reportedly meeting in secret with Padri leader Tuanku Imam Bonjol. He also made trips to the Pagaruyung area outside of his jurisdiction, and broke protocol with Dutch officials in the region (addressing them as "brother" instead of "father"). His grave is located in what is today downtown Bengkulu, surrounded by a public cemetery.